Electric station indicator



Dec. 31, I929. M. P.- MART!NEZ 1,741,371

ELECTRIC STATION INDI CATOR' Filed Oct. 11, 1927 4 Shets-Sheet 1 Dec. 31, 1929. M. P. MARTINEZ- 1,741,371

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Dec. 31, 1929.

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Dec. 31, 1929. M. P. MARTINEZ 1,741,371

ELECTRIC STATION INDICATOR Filed Oct. 11. 1927 '4 Sheets-Sheet 4 i Q Y m wQ uNh fi ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNETED STATES MIGUEL I. MARTINEZ, 615 NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC STATION INDICATOR Application filed October 11, 1927- Serial No. 225,417.

This invention relates generally to indicators and has more particular reference to a novel station indicator for trains.

The invention has for object the provision of a device of the class mentioned which is of simple construction and reliable in action and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

The invention makes use of a casing provided with windows on opposite sides and a web with the names of stations thereon movably arranged behind the windows. The web has a plurality of projections secured on its sides, which engage and move switches as the web moves controlling the stopping of the web at proper places. Manually operable switches or switches operable by the doors of a car are provided for controlling an electric motor to move the web. As the web moves it winds onto one roller from another,

and automatic means for controlling the speed of the said electric motor according to relative positions of the web on the rollers are arranged within the device. The direction 5 of web travel is controlled by a solenoid and of reference will be had to tae following description and accon'ipanying drawing and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more par ticularly set forth.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken immediately behind the front portion of the casing of the device.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line l% of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional View taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional vie taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan View of the web used in the device.

Fig. 10 is a developed sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a schematic wiring diagram of the device.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view, taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 5.

The reference numeral 15 indicates generally a casing for the device having on opposite sides windows 16. A frame 17 is secured to the inner side of the casing, and a pair of web rollers 18 and 19 are rotatably and horizontally mounted therein. A web 20 is wound on the rollers and also extends over idler rollers 21 mounted in frame 17 so as to pass behind windows 16.

The web 20 is divided into spaces 22 and a consecutive list of stations is printed on the web looking from the right in Fig. 9 and in every other space, that is, in spaces marked 22 22*, 22, 22 etc. The same consecutive list of stations is also printed in the ust mentioned skipped spaces, but looking from the left in Fig. 9, that is, in the spaces 22*, 22 etc. The spacing between the windows 16 is such that there are an even number of spaces 22 therebetween, and the lists of oppositely arranged stations are so timed that the same stations are visible from each window 16. The web movement, hereinafter fully explained, is a two space movement, or any other even space movement so that stations are always correctly shown through the windows 16.

The rollers 18 and 19 are each supported on shafts 28 and 2s. The shafts 23 support one of the sides of the rollers, and are fixedly engaged in standards 25, while shafts 24 support the other sides of the rollers, and are engaged in standards 26. These shafts 23 and 24 do not directly support the rollers, but do so indirectly by supporting tubular members 27 which engage in the rollers and are fixedly connected therewith.

The tubular members 27 have enlarged ends 28 with projecting spikes 29 engageable in apertures in the hubs 30 of gears 31 fixed to shafts 2 Springs 32 act between the frame 17 and the rollers normally urging the spikes from engaging the hubs.

Vr edge members are connected to the ends of an arm 3i pivoted at its center as a 35. lVhen one of the wedge nienib down it abuts one of the rol ers to more so that its tubular member engages its coaching gear, the other wedge member is then necessarily in raised positiomand does not abut the other of the rollers so that this roller is not engaged with its gear, 31.. A solenoid 36 is connected to more the arm 3% so that either wedge is raised or lowered.

Both gears 31 mesh with a gear 37 so that as gear 37 turns, the gears 31 turn in the same directions. The gear 37 meshes with a worm 38 on a shaft 39 supported by standards 40. A gear 41 is fixed on the sh aft 39 and this gear meshes with a worm 42on shaft 43 of an electric motor 46 As the motor shaft turns the motion is transmitted to gear 37 which turns the gears 31 in the same directions. Solenoid 36 controls which of the rollers 18 should be connected. with its gear 31 and this controls the direction in which web 20 moves.

The opposite end of motor shaft 43 is provided with a worm meshing with gear 4:6 on shaft 47 mounted in standards 48 and 9. The portion of shaft 4L7 between standards 4-8 and 49 is threaded, indicated by numeral 50 and a contact member 51 is threadedly engaged thereon. A fixed rod 52 engages contact member 51 to prevent it from turning. The contact member 51 is slidably connected with resistance 53 which isconnected with the motor 4:4: in such a manner as to decrease the speed of the motor accordmg to the amount of web 20 wound on the driver roll? ers 18 and 19 according to which of these rollers are connected to do the driving so as to always get the same amount of web motion regardless of the diameters of the web on the driver roller.

A stationary member 5% projects fromthe frame 17 anda spring 55 acts between member 54s and the plunger ofsolenoid 36 to tend to move one end of arm 34 downwardly, and this tendency may be counteracted by a spring 56 connected with an adjusting screw 57 threadedly engaged to the other side of the arm 34.

The web 20 has members 58, and larger members 59 projecting from and secured to the edges thereof and these members are on gageable with switches 60, 60, 61, 61, 61", and 61 connected to solenoids 61, 61 and 61, to operate other switches 62 to operate a proper motion of the web. The members are adjacent the first station of each list of 58 are adjacent each .tion independently of the switches 63. A

switch 65 serves to make the device adaptable for local or express trains, the full lines in Fig. 11 indicating the position of the switch when the train is a local, and dot lines 65 when an express. Switch 66 serves to connect the device to some source of current. An electric bell 67 is connected to ring while the web is in motion, to call passengers attention to new web indications.

The operation of the device may be traced by assuming that the train arrives at a station, the doors open, and when closed act to close the switches 63 which act to energize and at the same time the circuit is kept closed for energizing this solenoid by contacts 69 and 70. The armature 72 of motor 44 is energized and rotates, the resistance 53 being in circuit with the armature to control its speed and the web 20 moves. As the web moves a member 58 thereon adjacent the next station name, operates switch 60 or 60 according to the trains being a local or express and this breaks the circuit of solenoid 61, allowing its switch 62 to move to original posi tion, breaking the circuit to armature 72. As the final station on the list is reached member 59 closes switch 61 or 61 according to whether the train is an express or a local energizing solenoid 61" and changing the direction of current in leads 73, 74, and causing armature 72 torotate in. the opposite direc tion so that the train may run back. When the train reaches the final station in the opposite direction, member 59 closes switch 61" or 61 according to whether the train is local or express, respectively. The solenoids 36 and 61 are connected in the same circuit as solenoid 61" so that the three function together.

At the end of a trip in one direction the contact 51 will be at one end of resistance 53 so that the velocity of the motor armature 7 2 will be ata minimum. When starting a return trip the speed of the armature must be at its maximum since solenoid 36 acts to change roller 18 or 19-to the driver roller. Solenoid 61 is energized together with the other solenoids as stated and its switch 62 moves upwardly to close a circuit across contacts 75 and 76 which causes the motor armature 72 to receive maximum current;

The diagram illustrated in Fig. 11 indi cates the apparatus ready to function. Sup pose now that the train goes from the first point, or the starting point, suppose that it enters the first station of the trip, the train stops and the doors open. This touches the lever 63 in the direction of the arrow indicated by the dotted lines, and nothing happens, but when the door is closed it touches to the lever 66 in the direction marked by the straight line arrow (there are two contacts of door 63 and one is placed in the door of one side of the car, and the other one is placed in the door on the opposite side. So either side of the train which is next to the station, should be operated by the apparatus in the same way, so that either of the doors may be opened.) hen the lever 63 is touched (either of the two) in the direction of the straight line arrow the electric current travelling from 66 in the direction marked by the arrowpoints, completes the circuit 66, 73, 64-, 63, A, B, T, 61, S, 60, 65,74,74, and 66 negative and the bobbin 61 starts to function and pulls the cross 62 upwards and this will put into communication the points 69 and '50 as shown by the dotted line it will he noted that the door touches the lever 63 only momentarily and immediately the door is closed the lever 68 will come back to its original posi; tion, but the bobbin 61* continues working even though the circuit was cut in A, B, because its circuit is now completed by, 66, 73, 64, 69, 70, T, 61 SS, 60, 65, 7 H and 66 negative. The points 69, 66 and 76 are communicated, which completes another circuit, 66, 73, 64, 69, 68, 72, 62, 51,74,11 and 66 negative and the motor 7 2 will be in motion and therefore the ribbon hat carries the signs of the stations also will be set in motion.

At the same time that the circuit of the motor 72 was completed, another cir ant, 66, 73, 64, 69, 68, 67, Tet, H, 66 negative is completed and the bell 67 is in function. So that 61, 67 and the motor 72 are now working at the same time.

We know that each station name or sign is provided with one tooth so that when the ribbon that carries the signs is in motion and as soon as the corresponding sign appears to public view the tooth that accompanies this sign'touches the lever K of the apparatus 60. This opens and breaks the circuit 66, 73, c4, 69, 70, T, 61 S, 60, 65, 74, H, 66 negative and the bobbin 61 stops working and looses the cross 62 to its original position, and then breaks the communication between the points 68, 69, 70 and therefore the circuits will be out, 66, 73, c4, 69, 6e, 72, 62 51, 74, n, negative for one part, and for the other 66, 73, 6a, 69, 68, 67, 74, H, 66 negative, so that the motor 72 stops working and the hell 6? will stop ringing and everything will be as before starting and the operation will be repeated as soon as the door is closed at the next station, and so at each consecutive station, using for each operation only a few seconds.

hen the sign indicates the last station along the route, this sign touches by means of its corresponding tooth the lever L of the apparatus 61" and then the next circuit is completed, 66, 0,1), 61 E, F, G, 61, H, 66 negative and the bobbin 61" is in notion, at the same time the circuit 66, C, M, N, F, G, 61, H, 66 negative is completed, and the bobbin will function. At the same time will be completed the circuit, 66, P, 61, F, G, 61, H, 66 negative and the bobbin 61 will function so that the bobbin 61, 61 and 36 will function at the same time and will stop working at the same time.

WVhen the bobbin 61 starts to function, this attracts upward the cross 62, and puts in communication the points I, I I, I, I (as shown by the dotted lines) and then the circuit 66, C, D, 61 E, F, G, 61, J, I, 1 H, 66 negative and therefore the circuit of the bobbins 61, 61, and 36 remains complete, unless that this circuit was broken in 61, it is known that the circuit by medium of the apparatus 61 as only completed momentarily until the tooth that accompanies the sign touches the lever L of the apparatus 61. But as the bobbins 61, 61 and 36 should be continuously working during the return trip of the train, it is necessary that the current in those bobbins be closed and this is what makes the circuit 66, C, D, 61, E, F, G, 61, J, I, I H, 66 negative.

lVhen the points I, I I, I, I are in communication by means of the cross 62, the direc LlOll of the current that comes from 66 will be inverted in the points 78, 74 and the whole wil be ready to function as soon as the train arrives at the next station.

Suppose now that we arrived at the last station of the first trip, the doors open and as soon as they close the apparatus starts to function same as before, except that now the motor 7 2 will turn around in the opposite way than before, because the direction of the current has also been reversed in the points 73, 7a, and therefore the ribbon that carries the signs will run in an inverse way than before and so the signs of the stations will appear now in inverse way than before because the train also goes in the opposite direction.

The same as in the first trip, the apparatus will start in operation each time that the train arrives at a station and the doors are closed, and the apparatus 61, 68, 60 and 67 will remain working the same way in the first trip except that the currentwill circulate in direction opposite to the first, but this does not affect any of the apparatus, except the motor 72, so when it is inverted, the direction of the current in its treminals X, X is inverted to change the direction of the rota-- tion 72.

Suppose now that the train reaches the end of the second trip and the sign appears ansame as when they started the first trip and as soon as the last station on the return trip is'reached which station was the point of the starting journey. Y

The, operations explained in each one of the two trips of the train will be repeated as many times as the trips are made.

As can be observed, the held of the motor 72 is connected directly to the princi al circuit 66, so that the direction of the current in the field cannot be changed until the direction of the current of the armature 72 is changed, so that the reversal of the rotation 72 can be done in its proper time.

The apparatus 63 that are placed in the doors can be substituted by buttons and so the apparatus instead of being operated by the doors of the train, can be operated. by the conductor of the train.

When the train goes as an express and it does not stop at all the stations, and therefore the apparatus only should announce the crzoress stations, so when the train goes as express the interrupter 65 has to be carried to the position 65, and everything will work exactly as before, except that instead of working the apparatus 60, 65, 61, 61 that are operated by the teeth of the local signs, will work now the apparatus 61 and 61', that are operated by the teeth of the express signs.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with some degree of particularity, I realize that in practice various alterations therein may be made. I therefore reserve the right and privilege of changing the form of the details or otherwise altering the arrange ment of the correlated parts without departing from the spirit or the scope of the ap pended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, means for changing web rollers to driver or driven, comprising a frame having stationary shafts supported therein, web rollers rotatably and slidably mounted on said stationary shafts, rotatable shafts with driver gears thereon, a clutching device between the driver gears and the web rollers, means for normally urging the slidable Web rollers so that the clutching device is disengaged, an arm pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends on the frame, wedge members on the ends of the arm,

capable of moving the web rollers so thatthe clutch devices engage, and a solenoid for moving the arm so that only one wedge acts against a roller at one time.

2. In a device of the class described,.means for changing web rollers to driver. or driven, comprising a frame, web rollers rotatably and slidably mounted therein, rotatable shafts with driver gears thereon, a clutching device between the driver gears andthe web rollers, means for normally urging the slidable web rollers so that the clutchingdevice is disengaged, an arm pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends on the frame, wedge members on the ends of the arm, capable of moving the web rollers so thatthe clutch devices engage, and a solenoid for moving the arm so that only one wedge acts against a roller at one time.

3. In a device of the class described, means for changing web rollers to driver or driven, comprising a frame having stationary shafts supported therein, web rollers rotatably and slidably mounted on said stationary shafts, rotatable shafts with driver gears thereon, a

clutching device between the driver gears andthe web rollers, means for normally urging the slidable web rollers so that the clutching device is disengaged, an arm piv-otally mounted on the frame, wedge members on the ends of the arm, capable of moving the web rollers so that the clutch devices engage, and a solenoid for moving the arm so that only one wedge acts against a roller at one time.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

MIGUEL P. MARTINEZ. 

